CHAPTER FOURTEEN
GAbrIEL
I caught myself smiling like a fool again.
I hid my pure happiness under the guise of a welcoming practitioner as I said goodbye to my client.
It was almost lunchtime, and I was desperate to see Jake.
Despite being disappointed he didn’t sleep over, the night had ended well.
It was only a matter of time before he wound up in my bed for more than a much-needed massage.
I stopped in my office and finished up the client’s paperwork then dropped it off at the receptionist’s desk so she could enter the details into the database.
I nodded at a closed door and asked Linda, “My father is just getting started?”
“Alright, I’m off for lunch then. Be back soon.” I stopped in the bathroom to freshen up. I winked at my reflection, feeling like a million bucks then left with my laptop bag.
As I walked toward Marco’s Fresh Market, I thought about how well everything was going.
Yes, Jake needed a little something extra, but I didn’t mind.
Slow was good for both of us. It would give us the opportunity to learn about each other, grow comfortable, and by the time we finally had sex, there would be little awkwardness.
I craved intimacy and I had a strong suspicion he had very little experience in that department.
A fierce desire to protect him bubbled up.
I didn’t like that he lived in squalor and worked so hard for so little.
I’d been privileged all my life, but I could understand a lot of people weren’t.
I wanted to spoil him rotten. He seemed like the kind of guy that deserved attention, happiness, and…
love. Did I even know what love was? I’d never experienced the emotion beyond my family, and I’d gotten close with Sean, but I imagined it was wonderful.
I’d be lucky if I got to live it and fuck, did I hope Jake was the one.
It was easy imagining our lives together, but reality was a different beast.
I pushed past the revolving doors of the market and searched out Jake.
I found him wiping down the salad bar counters.
He was absolutely glowing, that little kiss last night seeming to do him good.
Oh, baby boy, you have no idea what’s coming, I thought.
The one thing I liked about getting old?
I’d racked up a ton of experience and I couldn’t wait to unleash it on him.
I fully intended to leave him a puddle on my bed.
He spotted me and grinned widely, his cheeks mottling. It was nice to be welcomed. He had a great smile, and I got the feeling the happiness he showed was only for me.
“So nice to see you again,” I said, smirking. “You’ve been so helpful. I do have some more questions. My cousin is flying in from France and I’m planning a dinner for him. I want to make a salad but am confused about the difference between iceberg and butter lettuce. Can you help?”
He covered his laugh and spoke up to give the impression he was trying to help a customer.
“Sure, I can help you with that, sir. Marco’s Fresh Market carries a variety of lettuces you will find to your taste.
” He scooted a little closer and lowered his voice.
“You know, no one is going to believe you're a confused customer when you look at me like that.”
“It’s not something I can help,” I whispered and grabbed an empty salad container. “You’ve very look-able. And something is different today.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. You look…happy,” I said, scanning my eyes all over him.
“Oh.” He tried to hide his smile between his teeth. “Maybe I am.”
“Could I have something to do with it?”
“Maybe you do.”
It was my turn to beam. “I want to take you to a fall festival this weekend. It’s low-key. Interested?”
“Yes,” he said and organized a bin of bagged croutons.
“Good. And… Maybe…” I scratched my chin and tried to organize my thoughts better.
“What?”
“It’s optional but maybe we could have a sleepover. Totally benign, of course.”
“I don’t think anything for you is benign. It’s not in your DNA.”
I chuckled. “You’re probably right. But I mean it. I’ll be good. I was last time, wasn’t I?”
He rolled his shoulders as if remembering the massage I’d given him. “Yes, you were.”
“Speaking of which, how are you feeling?”
He sighed one of those stress-relieving breaths. “Good. A little sore, but loose.”
“Drinking plenty of water?”
“Yes, doctor.” When he was done with the container of croutons, he moved over to a bin of wrapped utensils. “You’re not going to waste your lunch chatting with me, are you?”
“I can’t think of a better way to spend it,” I countered.
His attention dropped to my lips as if he were thinking about kissing me. “I’m going to see if I can get my lunch breaks moved up so we can eat together. I might have to trade something for it though, like offering to clean the fish bins, which are on no one's top of the list.”
“I’d like that,” I said. “Gives me an opportunity to spend more time with you.”
“Stop saying things like that. My cheeks hurt.”
“I’ve done my job then.”
He shook his head. “You should eat. We will talk later?”
“Of course.” I looked around, surveying the people around the market. What were the chances of anyone noticing if I pecked him on the cheek? I decided to rein myself in and settled for a onceover which made him smile wider. “Thank you again, sir. You have been remarkably helpful.”
“Of course. Thank you for shopping at Marco’s Fresh Market.”
I chuckled as I set about piling my container with salad. This little game we played was stupidly entertaining, but I decided to actually put in a review card with his name on it. I doubt the managers cared about customer feedback, but it didn’t hurt.
When I got back to the clinic, my father was chatting with a client, a semi-famous ballet dancer if I remembered correctly. My appointment hadn’t arrived yet, so I settled in my office and proceeded to day-dream about Jake.
My phone chimed and I rushed to retrieve it from my bag.
I was both happy and annoyed to see that it was my sister.
The message was brief and to the point and was addressed to the family as a group text, to let us know she was coming over to see Amelia tonight.
Frowning at my phone, I figured it was a good thing she was making an effort to spend time with her daughter, but I didn’t want her sudden presence messing with my niece’s head.
“Hey,” Dad said, rapping on the door. “Did you talk to your sister?”
“I just got her message. Did you know she is coming over tonight?”
“Yeah, I talked to her this morning.”
I leaned against my chair with a sigh. “Do you think it’s a good idea? I mean, it's only a matter of time before she takes off again.”
He clearly didn’t like that. “Amelia is her daughter, and the girl needs her mother. You need to have more faith in your sister.”
I don’t know, she’s gotten pretty well along without her so far. I kept the thought to myself and shrugged. “I know, it’s just… I don’t want Amelia getting disappointed.”
He blew out a big breath and came to sit at my desk. “I do know what you mean.”
“Let Mom know I'll be over?”
He narrowed his eyes on me. “I know you love Amelia, but you cannot interfere with their relationship.”
“I’m not interfering, just protecting her,” I hedged, suddenly annoyed with the whole thing. It was a shit thing to say, but sometimes I wished Bev would just leave and never come back. “I’m sorry I’m not optimistic like you are.”
“Give it time,” he said but his voice was thin as if he didn’t believe what he was saying. “What about the man you’ve been seeing? What is his name? How is he doing?”
“Jake.” I couldn’t help smiling, knowing I was giving everything away. “It’s going.”
“Good. We expect to meet him soon,” Dad said.
“Yeah, I’d like that. I’ll run it by him some time.” I was going to drag my feet on it. Jake was just getting comfortable with me. No way was I going to overload him by meeting the parents.
For now, I wanted to savor him nice and slow like he deserved.